Well, it's always a good time to diversify your family's library, but with so many amazing books out there, where do you even begin? Boston Moms put out a list for how to raise inclusive kids so we asked the site’s Dashanna Hanlon about her picks.
She says, “We picked about a list of 10 and we just figured that what this is a great time to offer families an opportunity to look at their shelves and say, ‘Hey, like, what kind of books do we not have? Who isn't represented on our shelves?’”
Why it’s important
“I think right now for white families it's really important for them to have protagonists on their shelves that look different than them, whether they are Black or Asian or whatever culture they're from. Just different, right? Exposure is so important,” says Hanlon.
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And she adds that when it comes to Black families, “It’s really important for our kids to see themselves represented in literature.”
The list includes books such as I Am Enough which teaches kids that they are enough no matter what, an important lesson for all kids.
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Several titles also tell kids to go big, dream big.
“Kids, you know, they have such limiting beliefs, right? The world is little. We want them to know that there are no limits. You know, you can be vice president, you could be president. You know, we want them to explore the world outside of them and know that nothing's really out of reach,” she says.
Must-have
If she had just one book to pick? “I would say the ‘Last Stop on Market Street’. It is one of our favorites. It's a great read for kids like K-3 or four, and it really just talks about other neighborhoods and explains why one is just a little bit different than the other. It's not bad or good. It's just different.”
The list:
- Little Leaders
- Little Legends
- Dream Big, Little One
- Parker Looks Up
- I Am Enough
- Hair Love
- Young, Gifted, and Black
- Nina: Jazz Legend and Civil-Rights Activist Nina Simone
- Last Stop on Market Street
- Preaching to the Chickens
For more information, check out Bostonmoms.com
